connotation

noun

con·​no·​ta·​tion ˌkä-nə-ˈtā-shən 

1

a

: something suggested by a word or thing : implication

the connotations of comfort that surrounded that old chair

b

: the suggesting of a meaning by a word apart from the thing it explicitly names or describes

2

: the signification of something

… that abuse of logic which consists in moving counters about as if they were known entities with a fixed connotation.

—William Ralph Inge

3

: an essential property or group of properties of a thing named by a term in logic compare denotation

connotational

ˌkä-nə-ˈtā-shnəl 

-shə-nᵊl

adjective

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What’s the difference between connotation and denotation ?

Connotation and denotation are easily confused, and the fact that neither word is particularly common in everyday use makes it difficult for many people to get a firm grip on the difference between them. While each of these two words has several possible meanings, they are notably distinct from each other in all senses. Denotation is concerned with explicit meaning, and connotation tends to be concerned with implicit meaning. The word home, for instance, has a denotation of “the place (such as a house or apartment) where a person lives,” but it may additionally have many connotations (such as “warmth,” “security,” or “childhood”) for some people.

Examples of connotation in a Sentence

Miuccia Prada, a connoisseur of vintage jewelry, has a collection of tiaras and subverts their formal connotations by wearing them for the day. —Hamish Bowles, Vogue, March 1997

Suddenly, Hsun-ching brightened. "So this is propaganda?" Alison did not know that, in Chinese, the word for propaganda literally means to spread information, and does not carry any negative connotations. —Mark Salzman, The Laughing Sutra, 1991

The word "evolution," with its connotation of unrolling, of progressive development, was not favored by Darwin; he preferred the bleak phrase "descent with modification" for his theory. —John Updike, New Yorker, 30 Dec. 1985

a word with negative connotations

For many people, the word “fat” has negative connotations.

The word “childlike” has connotations of innocence.

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Recent Examples on the Web

In my opinion, internal, negative connotations of Black hair textures are derived– in part– from the pain of doing our hair– especially detangling. —India Espy-Jones, Essence, 17 Nov. 2023

Barili said that oftentimes things associated with the streets have a negative connotation and can be associated with violence and gangs. —Chelsea Hylton, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2023

In the past, some of those awards might have had a negative connotation. —Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Oct. 2023

Long reserved for the preppy look, pearls are shedding their bourgeois connotations to assert their fashion potential on the catwalks that count. —Jessica Scemama, Glamour, 19 Oct. 2023

At the news conference, Labrada’s attorney, Jeremy Tissot, accused news outlets of rushing to judgment and mischaracterizing Labrada’s actions as stalking — a label that carries a dark connotation. —Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2023

The term is completely neutral and holds no derogatory connotations. —Thaddeus Cramer, Parents, 13 Sep. 2023

And though pink might be thought of as stereotypically girlish, the color’s connotations have changed alongside the generations that have grown up with Barbie. —Anne Branigin, Washington Post, 15 July 2023

When Guy is writing for himself on his site, his work is decidedly focused on the connotations of aesthetic. —James Powel, USA TODAY, 3 Sep. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

see connote

First Known Use

1532, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Kids Definition

connotation

noun

con·​no·​ta·​tion ˌkän-ə-ˈtā-shən 

: a meaning suggested by a word or an expression in addition to its exact meaning